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Gang of Davids, 1 Goliath (4/29/98)
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Every time we resolve ourselves to the fact that Microsoft is an unstoppable juggernaut, something happens that reintroduces that teeniest little bit of doubt. You've certainly heard by now that the Department of Justice, who has accomplished relatively little in its ongoing "Redmond Justice" case, is considering filing a new lawsuit targeting anticompetitive practices regarding Windows 98. You may also have heard that, disappointed with the soft line the DoJ is taking, the attorneys general of eleven states are planning their own antitrust action against Microsoft. What you may not have heard is that those attorneys general and the DoJ have been considering tag-teaming Gates & Co. by filing separated but coordinated suits as early as next week. A Reuters article considers the possibility.
Now, this scenario is still apparently just at the discussion stage, but it's a fascinating possibility. Microsoft's currently juggling over a hundred separate and distinct lawsuits, but the prospect of two such heavy-hitting and potentially nightmarish suits being filed cooperatively might actually give their lawyers a serious workout. We're curious to see just how much legal trouble a company even as huge and successful as Microsoft is can take before it just becomes too much. (Does anyone know how many lawyers Microsoft retains? Or how much they spend a year on legal counsel?)
By the way, the article also notes that the eleven states considering action against Microsoft are now twelve-- West Virginia has signed on, as well. Speaking purely in percentage of states, that means that a full 25% of the continental United States thinks Microsoft is competing unfairly. How high a percentage is necessary for Congress to declare war? ;-)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 4/29/98 episode: April 29, 1998: A mysterious message materializes on a "Think Different" billboard in Silicon Valley. Meanwhile, Microsoft prepares for a potential tag-team assault by twelve states and the Department of Justice, and Disney's shunning of Mac users from its "Disney Blast" site continues to raise hackles...
Other scenes from that episode: 658: It's Not Too Late (4/29/98) A cryptic message materialized on a Dalai Lama "Think Different" billboard yesterday; someone-- or something-- changed the ad's slogan to "Think disillusioned." In addition, the Apple logo had been transformed into a "creepy grinning skull."... 660: Not Playing Nice (4/29/98) My oh my, the "legitimate" press has glommed onto the story of how Disney is discriminating against Mac users by allowing only Windows 95 users to access their "Disney Daily Blast" site. The New York Times apparently found the story noteworthy, once they found out that Mac users are hacking their browsers to make Disney's servers think those Macs are really Windows machines...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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